Solid Partnership between Korea and Saudi Arabia on Small Reactor (SMART) Development

- Saudi Energy Minister visits KAERI, discusses strengthened cooperation on SMART -
- Firm Saudi determination regarding small reactors reconfirmed –

□  With the announcement of a soon to be made list of nuclear projects pursued by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, there was an event to consolidate Korea-Saudi nuclear cooperation.

□  KAERI stated that H.E. Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al-Falih, the Saudi Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources, visited the institute on May 5, reviewing the current status of the implementation of the SMART project and encouraging Saudi engineers participating in the reactor design HCB  program at the institute.
* SMART (System-Integrated Modular Advanced Reactor): Independently developed by KAERI, it is the first small modular reactor (SMR) worldwide to obtain the standard design approval (SDA).

□  After arrival at the institute, H.E. Al-Falih was briefed on the current status of the implementation of the SMART project. He then listened to related presentations by Saudi engineers dispatched from the King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (K. A. CARE) on reactor design HCB , and visited SMART related facilities and a nuclear safety research facility.

□  Overseeing Saudi nuclear power program, H.E. Al-Falih visited KAERI to discuss ways to promote nuclear cooperation between two countries. He exchanged opinions on SMART pre-project engineering (PPE), which KAERI has pursued along with Saudi Arabia, and agreed on joint efforts for the successful completion of the project and the smooth initiation of follow-up construction projects.

□  Dr. Jaejoo Ha, President of KAERI, and H.E. Al-Falih also had an in-depth discussion on the first construction of a SMART reactor, joint promotion of its exporting to third-party countries, and ways to strengthen cooperation through the development of a next-generation SMART reactor.

□  In addition, in relation to the establishment of the National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) under way H.E. Al-Falih expressed his hope that cooperation with KAERI, which boasts a wealth of experience and knowhow regarding nuclear R&D, will be further strengthened, allowing the NNL to get on track as a professional nuclear research entity within the shortest amount of time.

□  Since a 2015 agreement to build a joint SMART partnership, Korea and Saudi Arabia have cooperated closely in issues of nuclear energy.

□  KAERI has smoothly performed and is scheduled to complete a PPE, for which phase 1 cooperation of the SMART partnership between the two nations is set for completion in November of this year. In addition, as part of this project, the institute has implemented SMART personnel training programs for over 40 Saudi engineers, who will play key roles in the construction and operation of SMART in the future.

□ “H.E. Al-Falih’s visit demonstrates the importance of the Korea-Saudi partnership,” President Ha noted. He further stressed that “it shows Saudi Arabia’s firm determination to construct a SMART reactor on its land and, furthermore, to export the model to third party countries.”